Closer To You
by PLLFanFicts
Summary: A fanfiction about Aria and Ezra from PLL. It has the A story line in it (and A in my story isn't A from the show or books). A lot of drama and emotions. It doesn't really follow the show that much, besides how Aria and Ezra met. Besides that it's a whole different story with the characters :)
1. In Deep

*Please read*  
Hi everyone! This is the first complete story I ever wrote. It's uploaded on youtube by xxxEzriaxxx (me). I wrote it about two years ago. So since it was my first story and it was kinda bad, I'm re-writing it and uploading it here. So just so you know, I didn't steal it from youtube. It's my story, I'm just re-writing it :) Lemme know what you think! Thanks for reading!

* * *

-Aria-

I tucked a strand of black hair behind my ear. I knit my eyebrows together then pulled my hair out from my ear. "That's better" I say to myself. I wanted to look my absolute best for Ezra. You know, I've been with him for a few months now, three to be exact. - but, I still get those butterflys in my stomach everytime I see him. Like the first kiss feeling, every day at school. Therefore, I wanted to look great for him.  
Ezra was the most amazing person I'd ever meet. He was sweet, and he listened. Like, he REALLY listened, and he cared. He always gave me his honest opinion, even if it was harsh. He had his own full life, yet my small problems mattered to him too. And I love that about him. I could tell him anything. And, it didn't hurt that Ezra was the hottest guy at Rosewood High school.  
But, there's one problem. Ezra, wasn't supposed to be 'Ezra' to me. He was supposed to be Mr. Fitz. Ezra Fitz, my to-good-to-be-true boyfriend was my AP English teacher. We had met at the beginning of summer, (against my better judgment) in a bar. I wasn't even LOOKING for a boyfriend. I had one back in Iceland anyway. But Ezra was into everything I was into, and he was defiantly into me. And so three hours -and drinks- later, Ezra had lifted me up onto the bar counter, and kissed me.  
And that was that. Little miss seventeen year old Aria was dating the twenty-three year old, perfect, amazing, hot Ezra Fitz. Even though our relationship was up and down, (and illegal,) we loved each other. And that's all that matters.  
I look away from the mirror and slide my feet into boots.  
"Aria, come on lets go! I'm gonna be late to school!" my fifteen year old brother, Mike, stood in the door way, leaning on the door knob with his black skull and cross bone backpack falling off his shoulder. His brown hair barely brushed. I look up. "Since when do you care about being on time to school?"  
Mike shrugged. "Since Natalie Ramirez got assigned the seat next to mine, and her cheerleading squad meets up before school."  
I roll my eyes, laughed a bit at Mikes immature teenage boy ways, and quickly slid my wrist into a bundle of dark colored bracelets and grabbed my bag - which was open. My books fell to the floor and papers flew everywhere.  
"Nice dude" Mike smirked from the door way.  
"Would you shut up and come help me?"  
Mike leisurely walked over to my night stand - which her phone had slid behind. It was playing "Love Story," which was Ezra's ring tone.  
"Mike! Stop, don't answer it." I dropped my science book and ran over to Mike.  
"Too late!" Mike opened the text and read it out loud.

"Thinking of how much I love you! - E."

I looked at the floor. Mike laughed.  
"Aria has a boyfriend! This is so good! WHO is he?"  
I had rehearsed this in my head so many times, that this lie came out no problem.  
"His name is Eric. He, uh, Doesn't go to our school." I lied. Mike rolled his eyes.  
"Can we just go please?" I said picking up my last few books and deleting the text. As I walked out of my room I couldn't help but thinking to myself how close of a call that had been. I grabbed my keys to drive to another day of tortures school where I had to pretend I hadn't been at my English teachers apartment last night. I was getting pretty sick of doing this every single day.  
I walked into the doors of Rosewood high and immediately spotted Ezra. He was over by the vending machines getting a soda. A small piece of my heart melted. I leaned up against the wall and took my lip gloss out of my purse and put it on. One extra coat can't hurt, can it? I sighed. I wish I could go up to him right now and hug him, and tell him goodmorning. Hanna comes up next to me, in just enough time to stop me from practically drooling.  
"You know, I heard someone had broken into those vending machines last night. That new sketchy kid. Andrew? Yea that's him. Or was it Caleb? Maybe Owen…? Anyway it was at like 3am too! Like is a chocolate bar really that good?"  
"Wow, really?" I asked, trying to sound interested without taking my eyes off Ezra, who had just looked up and noticed me. He gave me a smile, then quickly looked away and started a conversation with the librarian. I wonder what book he was reading last night… I wonder if he fell asleep reading it. I wonder if he fell asleep thinking about me…  
"Aria!?" Hanna nudged me, catching me off garde.  
"What?" I jerked around to look at Hanna, and accidentally spilled her Coffee all over Mona. Mona was the "it" girl at Rosewood High. Her shirt probably cost more than my whole outfit - A black mini skirt, knee high socks and black converse, and a layered blue and white shirt.  
"What's WRONG with you?" Mona hissed.  
"Mona, back off" Hanna said defending me.  
"You're paying for that!" Mona spat back at me then stormed away.  
I looked back at Hanna who was actually laughing.  
"I didn't find it funny." I said as she started walking towards the English room.  
"Why are you going to English? Class doesn't start for like, ten more minutes.  
My heart started to race, a familiar feeling right before some sort of lie pops out of my mouth, that would be better off ducted taped together. I hate lying to my best friend. I hate lying in general.  
"I have a homework question…that's all"  
Hanna was about to question me, but my phone went off. Awesome timing.

"Needing help in English a lot lately, huh? - A"

"Is it… you know…" Hanna started. Hanna, Spencer, and Emily also got tested from "A."  
"No" I quickly interrupted. "It's my mom. I'll see you after class, ok?"  
"Yeah sure.." Hanna said suspiciously.  
I walked into the English class room and closed the door slowly behind me.  
"Hey!" Ezra said when he looked up and saw me.  
"Hi" I said strolling over to his desk. I pulled out my homework and laid it down so if anyone came in, it was there. "I had a question.. Do you think we can meet at your place tonight?" I whispered. "I can cook, instead of take out." the corners of Ezra's lips curled up.  
"You're gonna cook…..what now? Aria, you burnt my toast."  
I laughed. "Just watch.." I said with a twinkle in her eye. The bell rang and kids started to pour in.  
"So, do you understand it now?" Ezra jumped out of his seat, handing me back the homework. "Yes! I do! Thanks so much Mr. Fitz." I walked back to my seat without making eye contact with him. Mona walked in the room and gave me the death stare. I ignore her and look down at my homework. I erased some letters to try and make them neater. I wonder if my a's looked like o's? I better fix them, just in case.  
"Aria, Hi!" Startled, I look up at Spencer. "I think its neat enough, Aria." Spencer smiled. "What, got a crush on Mr. Fitz?" Spencer said tucking her bag under her chair. Ezra, hearing his name, looked up from the stack of papers being piled on his desk. He gave me a look that said "Don't tell me she knows…" I fiercely shook my head. He relaxed a little, but not much. He fixed his eyes on me as I turned back to Spencer, who thankfully, had been flipping through her text book, not looking at me or Ezra. "No." I laugh. "I just want an A, I guess..." My phone buzzed, I pick it up and hope this time it was my mom. But it wasn't.

"You want an A? Okay. Here I am. But good luck passing my test. I'm NOT an easy A. you only get those, from Mr. Fitzzy. - A"

I gasped. I looked around the room. 'A' HAD to be RIGHT here. She had to be! Who else would have heard me? I looked at Mona. She was talking to Hanna. Her phone, On Mr. Fitz desk, was turned off with the battery laying next to it. He had taken it last week and hadn't giving it back. No one in the whole class was texting.  
"Good! Spencer said finally stopping on a page. I had forgotten what Spencer even said. But now it stung. Like her best friend just told her that her boyfriend was about to dump her for some size 0 hot blond.  
"I'd have to slap you silly if you did have a crush on him!" Spencer continued. As if I needed any more. "You know Ricky Foti, right? He said Mr. Fitz is having a thing with a student!" A chill ran down my spine. Ricky had seen us out at a restaurant once. We lied, and said I was the stage manager for the play the 11th grade was putting on and we were casting parts. Of course she had to stay after school for all the rehearsals and practices, but her secret was safe. But apparently it wasn't. Was he the one texting me?  
Ezra had the same panicked look on his face.  
"oh, ah, I-I don't know" I say. "Maybe. But he's probably just making it up."  
I get out of my seat and walk over to Ezra's desk.  
"Is it alright if I go to the bathroom?" I ask him once I'm up there.  
"Uh..." He pauses. "sure." He looks at me with eyes that say 'We're in this so deep.'  
I walk into the hall and think to myself how deep we actually are in this thing. Lying... sneaking... It's just too much. But it was worth it. Ezra was worth it. I go into the bathroom and splash cold water onto my face. But still, my cheeks were burning, and my head was spinning.  
Finally I decide just to call it a day and go home. I walk back to the class room with weak knees, certain I must be having the beginnings of some kind of panic attack. I walk into the classroom and Ezra, luckily, hadn't started teaching yet, so he's just sitting at his desk while people talk. "Hey," I say.  
"Yes?" He looks up.  
"I'm gonna go home."  
"Oh..." He looks at my suspiciouly. "Why?"  
I look to the side, glancing at my classmates, as to suggest he, as my teacher, shouldn't be asking. Not like that anyway. He seems to get it, and clears his throat.  
"I just don't feel good." I explain.  
"You don't look good..." He says. I shrug.  
"So do I need to take any work home or anything?"  
"I don't think so..." He looks around, trying to think of anything. "Oh!" he said like he had just remembered something. He pulled out a test. It had a 100% on it. "I'm passing these out later, you can take yours now since you're gonna leave."  
I sigh. The 'Easy A' text burned in my mind. But I knew I had earned that grade. Ezra would give me an F if I deserved it. He even had before, a few times. And not because we had fought or anything. He was fair about it. Ezra babbles on and on about what I'll be missing during today's lesson. But I just stared down at the floor, seeing pink dots wherever I looked. I grabbed the edge of the desk to keep myself from falling over.  
"Ms. Montgomery?" Ezra said. "Here, you can take the test." I saw him holding the test towards me, but it looked like a white blur dangeling infront of my face. "Aria?" Ezra said again. His voice got more and more faded. I couldn't hear him over my heart beat in my ears. I closed her eyes to try and regain balence. I wanted to tell Ezra to stop talking, and give me just a second. But even if I could talk to him that way, I couldn't form the words. The last thing I heard was Ezra yelling "Aria!" and a loud thud. I felt a pounding pain on my head, and then it stopped hurting, and everything went black and silent.


	2. Honey

-Ezra-

I held the paper out for Aria to take, but she just stood there. Starring at the wall. "Aria?" I asked again. By now the whole class had gone quiet. Something not even I could make them do. Aria closed her eyes. She started to fall backwards. "Aria!" I yelled. I ran around my desk, wrapping my arm around her back and putting my hand on the back of her neck, lowering her slowly to the floor. "Aria, Honey are you okay?" I didn't even care about the fact I just called her honey. I had completely forgotten I was even in a class room. Some kids where charging out of there seats, coming over to the front of the room. Most were standing at there desk whispering. Well, yelling was a better word. "Does, uh, does anyone have a jacket?" I asked. All three of Aria's best friends ran over handing me their jackets and scarves. I bundled them up putting them under Aria's head. She suddenly looked so much smaller (she was only 5'2 to begin with). I suddenly regret yelling at her last week for calling me Ezra when we were with my old collage friend. The look that had been on her face - and those big brown eyes - was so hurt. It's not like we were in school. What did I expect? She might act mature, even older then me sometimes. But she was only sixteen. Why should that have to change, just because I'm not sixteen? I stare at my motionless girlfriend and tell myself not to think of her as my girlfriend right now, but my student. I try and see Spencer's face on her instead, but it's usless.  
"Hanna go get the nurse, please!" Hanna ran out the door, panic on her face. "Emily, go wet a paper towel Okay? And Spencer, Go get Mrs. Montgomery."  
"She isn't here, she's in Philly!" Spencer said with a shakey voice. She was standing in the back of the room, like she would catch a disease from standing next to Aria. "Okay..." I say to myself, outloud. I just don't know what to do. In all the medical shows they call 911. Cut there clothes off, and do CPR. But those shows weren't real. or.. are they? As if Spencer read my mind, she came over and started taking Arias thick jacket off. Aria isn't my girlfriend, she's my student. Too different things. I reminded myself. As I slide her pale, skinny arm out of her jean jacket. Spencer presses her fingers up against Aria's neck.  
"Shhhh!" Spencer yelled to the class. The whole room got quiet. Why couldn't I do that? "Her pulse seems fine." Spencer said, talking like she was a paramedic.  
Emily and the school nurse, Ms. Smith walked in.  
"Okay, everybody OUT." Ms. Smith commanded. The kids scattered out the room, taking one last look at Aria.  
Emily laid the wet paper towels over Aria's for head. Then followed the rest if the kids out the room. Aria was getting more and more pale. I knew enough to know that wasn't good.  
"I called 911" Ms. Smith informed me. "Hanna is in the hall talking to them."  
I nod, and look down. I hadn't even noticed until now, but I had slipped my hand into Aria's. I couldn't help it. Its just what I was used to doing when I was scared.

- Aria-

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes, was Ezra kneeling over me, and someone pressing there thumb against my neck. I tried to jerk away from her, but I couldn't move. "Aria…It's okay" I heard Ezra say. I slowly moved my eyes over to him. I could hear kids out in the hall all saying my name. "Spencer, Go get some water from the water fountain." Ezra asks her.  
I blink a few times and try and see where I was. I was still in the English room. I suddenly remembered everything that happened. The weak knees, the pink dots, the thud. Ezra was holding my hand. I looked to Ms. Smith. She was to busy to notice. But just to be save I tried to slide my hand out of his. But he held on to it. "It's okay…" he whispered again. Ms. smith stood up.  
''Ezra, can you carry her to the office and lay her down on the couch now?" Ezra looked at right at me. He picks me up and doesn't make eye contact with me. Cause, you know, I'm sure teachers don't make eye contact with students while holding them in their arms. Once he stood up he whispered "I'm sorry for yelling at you" I tried to raddled my brain for what he was talking about. He was apologizing? Oh no. maybe I was gonna die. But instead of answering I buried my head into his shoulder. Eventhough, I'm sure students don't do that. Well, maybe they do if they're half passed out. Oh well, they can deal with it.  
Ezra laid me on the couch. "You feeling okay..?" he asked. I nodded and pressed my palms to my eyes "I'm just….tired."  
"I'm gonna go check on the ambulance, alright?" Ms. Smith says. "You'll be ok here with Mr. Fitz?" I nod. When Ms. Smith closed the door, Ezra spoke. "What was that about?"  
"I have no idea..." I take a slow sip of water.  
"I'm glad I was there..."  
"I'm not."  
"Aria..."  
"You were holding my hand."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't even realize I was doing it..."  
"We're gonna get in trouble."  
"I'm sorry." He says.  
"It's fine. It's over now..."  
He sighs. "I guess you're right."  
"You know..." I start. "When I was passed out, I thought I was dead."  
"Hmm?"  
"Yeah... Cause I saw Alison..."  
"Yeah? Did you?"  
"Not much of her... I just remember seeing flashes of her face... That's all..." I leave out the part that it was probably from the A text. A, we all thought, must be somebody impersonating Alison. Being cruel and trying to mess with our heads. But I can't help but be mad at Alison for it. I mean, it's not her fault. She's dead. She's not the one sending the texts. But if she hadn't been the way she was, then no one would want to be so cruel about her, or to us. If she hadn't been so, well, insane, then maybe no one would've wanted to kill her.  
Alison would have loved this scene. 'Aria's hot older boyfriend saving her, yet it was forbidden love. That's only kind of love Ali liked anyway. She probably would've convinced Ezra to give me CPR. Then tell me all about my first 'in public kiss' with my forbidden boyfriend. I miss Ali sometimes. Then I remember the things she's done to all of us, and suddenly, the feeling leaves.  
"I'm sorry, hon..."  
I smiled and reached for Ezra's hand. For the first time, I honestly didn't care if we got caught.

-Third Person-

Once in the hospital, Aria had been given an IV and Ezra was sitting on the edge of the bed fiddling with a loose string on his shirt. 'Mr. Fitz' had called Aria's dad, and he was driving back from his meeting which was about an hour away. The doctors decided Aria was just de-hydrated. But enough to still bring her to the hospital, hook her up to IV's and make her down a whole bottle of Gatorade. But Aria's attention was more focused on what Ezra had admitted to Aria. He called her "honey" in front of the whole class. He said he didn't even realize what he did until everything had settled down. Aria was panicked over it. But Ezra insisted that no one noticed, or cared.  
"But Aria, Ms. Smith called you 'honey', also!" Ezra said, still looking down. He looked like a kindergardener who just let one of his parents secrets slip in class.  
"Yes, but Ms. smith is girl! That's like saying 'your mom calls you honey too!'"  
Ezra sighed. "I'm sorry. But I can't change it, okay? I'll be more careful."  
"Fine." She pauses. "When you said you were sorry for yelling at me…what did you mean?" Aria asked, changing the subject.  
"Remember when we went to that restaurant, and we met one of my old friends there, and you accidentally called me Ezra? And I got mad, and pulled you outside and yelled at you?"  
Aria remembered it a little too clearly. "Yeah…"  
"Well I never apologized for that. And now I know how easy it is to slip up. So, I'm sorry."  
"Oh." I say. "That's okay. But Ezra?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I think we need to say something to someone. Not anyone in the school, not like that, not like confesing. But like, telling someone so they can help. So they can tell us what to do."  
"I'm an adult, Aria. I don't need someone to tell me what to do. I know exactly what to do to get out of this mess."  
"Then why don't we do it?" She asks.  
"Because," He says. "The solution is to end our relationship completly and one of us leave the school." Her face falls. Ezra looks down. "That's why we don't do it."  
Aria takes a dee breath and opens her mouth to continue, but she's interupted by a knock at the door.  
A nurse walks in and hold out a letter to Aria. "Someone left this for you at the desk." Aria looked at it. It had the Letter "A" on the front of the letter. And nothing else. Aria gulped. This couldn't possibly be good. The nurse leaves the room but leaves the door open. apparently there are rules with teachers and students being alone in a closed-door room.. Even if it's not in the school. It's a wonder they've even left them in here for ten minutes without a chaperon. Ezra looked at her questionly. "Aria… what's that…?"  
She ignored him, but opens the letter.  
"Aria, It looks like I don't have the secret of your dads affair over you anymore, but I do have your little teacher secret now. So remember, you tell my secret, I tell yours, 'honey' - A."  
Last year, right before Ali went missing, Aria saw her dad kissing one of his students. Aria knew she needed to tell her mom, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Months past, Alison went missing, and her family moved to Iceland. Telling her mom seemed like it would do more harm then good.  
Aria remembered, one day, Ali had said "sometimes, love lies."  
But apparently A didn't get the memo. Cause she told the truth for once. Go figure.  
Aria was never one to lie. She had the biggest conscience in the world. But when things happen, somtimes, you have no choice but to lie.  
A had sent her mom a letter telling her all about it, and how Aria knew about it the whole time. Aria knew this 'A' person, meant business. She already let 'A' hurt herself, her mom, dad, and brother. No way was she gonna let her hurt Ezra. And now that the Meredith secret was out in the open and A could no longer hold it over her, Aria would bet A was really thrilled to learn about Aria dating her teacher. A brand new secret to hold over her. Aria was terrified of A. But if A knew, does that mean EVERYONE knew? But I guess it didn't matter, because now that A knew, in a matter of minutes everyone she didn't want to know, may be told.


	3. Family Secrets

-Aria-

I was almost about to change my mind when Ezra walked in. I didn't know if I could tell him. If I should tell him. "Ezra, we need to talk." I spat out before I could even reconsider telling him everything.  
"Uh, yea, sure. What's on your mind?" Ezra looked so innocent and sweet. I know I owe it to him to tell him the truth.  
"Okay, Ezra, I'm gonna tell you something, but you need to promise not to get mad. PLEASE just hear me to the end." Ezra had a worried look on his face.  
"I promise."  
I took a deep breath. Was I really about to break the promise I made to Ali in 7th grade?  
Here I go.. I thought. But first I took my bracelet - The one Ali gave all of us girls to remember not to tell about the Jenna thing. It's the one thing the girls all wore, in reminder that they made a promise.  
"Toby didn't cause the fire that blinded Jenna. Alison did. And me, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna were in on it. Ali..." I pause and look away from Ezra's shocked face. "She hated them. Liked to mess with then. She told us it was a stink bomb. We thought we were just gonna stink up Toby's shed and make him mad and get to watch him flip out. But it caught on fire, whatever it was and... now she's blind. We told Ali to confess, we begged her to. But he just wouldn't do it. She made us swear to lie." I hold up my bracelet. "She got us these to remind us not to." I shake my head. "It was so immature. It IS so immature. I can't believe it." I laugh a little and shake my head. "It sounds so juvinille." I straighten out my face. "Except for that now Jenna's blind. And not only did I play a part in it, but we lied to the police about it."  
"Oh, Aria..." He looks sympathedically at me. "I'm so sorry. That must be hard."  
"I can't believe I just told you..." I said, blowing air slowly out of my cheeks.  
"Am I the first person you ve ever told?"  
"Yes. You are the only person who knows besides Emily, Spencer, Hanna, Toby and me." I sigh. "And Ali knows. Obviously..." I shake my head. "knew."  
"How does Toby know?" Ezra asked.  
"He saw Ali he only took the blame because Alison had something over him." Ezra slowly nodded like he was processing everything. "I felt like I needed to tell you, before someone else."

-Third person-

"What..?" Ezra sounded confused. Aria handed him the letter.  
Ezra skimmed over it. "Who's A? And how do they know about the affair? About us?"  
Slowly, she spilled everything. The texts, the letters, how the other girls get them too, and how 'A' knows everything. Including the Jenna thing, her dads affair with his student, and how Aria knew but didn't tell. And now she knew about her and Ezra. She showed him the two texts she had gotten from 'A' today. Ezra got a look on his face Aria's never seen. It was a combination of anger, confusion, and fear.  
"Why haven't you told anybody?" he almost barked at her.  
"Because we'd have to tell about the Jenna thing also!" She says, raising my voice to match his.  
"So?! Aria, it wasn't your fault!" Ezra said.  
"But we knew and didn't tell. Alison made us promise we never would. And she knew all our secrets. It's like the letter said. If we tell hers, she tells ours. And now that's she's dead…. we'd get in trouble from the police for not telling all these years."  
Ezra took a really deep breath.  
"Aria, Lemme tell you something. When I met you in the bar -"  
"What does this have to -"  
"Let me finish. When I met you, I knew who you were. I didn't recognize you without the pink hair, but -"  
"What?!" Aria sat up and turned to look directly at Ezra. "So you knew…my age?"  
He nods. "I did. But I didn't tell you."  
"You knew I might be a student of yours?"  
He nods, guilty.  
"I liked you." He said. "I didn't care. I made a mistake, did something immature."  
"Why are you even telling me this?"  
"Because. When you have the chance to tell the truth about something you've lied about, you shouldn't even hesitate before setting things straight."  
"I could go to jail."  
He smiles, but it's not a happy smile. "Well then you'd be with me, at least." He nods to the letter, and I remember he may soon be headed there himself.  
I shake the thought from my head. "I don't want to think about all of this right now. Okay?"  
He nods. "That's fair enough."  
"How did you know me?" I ask. "In the bar. How'd you know who I was?"  
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask."  
"Well I'm asking."  
"Aria..." He pauses. "Are you sure you wanna know?"  
"As long as you're not A or a stalker..."  
"I'm not." He assures me. "Alison was my cousin."  
Aria could feel the color draining from her face. She could see that Ezra immediately wished he could take back what he just said.  
"Ali…was your cousin?"  
Ezra nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I barely knew you, and I don't just randomly tell people my family tree. Then you started talking about her so much... And you seemed to open up about it. And I didn't want you to stop being able to talk about it, because you knew I also knew her."  
Aria bit her lip. She didn't know what to say. "oh…" she whispered. She had 100 questions running through her mind, but none made it out of her mouth.  
Ezra starred forward at the wall. He was trying to hide the fact that we was obviously uncomfortable  
"Were you close..?" Aria asked.  
He nods. "We were. She was more like a sister than a cousin. I only got to see her for holidays and birthdays... But we emailed a lot. She was..." Ezra pauses and laughs. "She was normal when she talked to me. She opened up like a normal person instead of..." He moves his hands around like grapping for the right word.  
"Alison?"  
He laughs. "Exactly. She wasn't Alison when she was talking to me. She was normal."  
"What was it like? When she died?" Aria asks timidy.  
Ezra finally looked at Aria.  
He gestured to the paper cup in Arias hand. "keep drinking" he said.  
Aria took a sip of her water. She didn't bring up Alison again. Aria and Ezra sat there in silence for a couple minutes.  
"Sorry…" Ezra finally said. "Look, you've been through a lot today. Why don't you take a nap?"  
Aria didn't answer. She was already asleep. Ezra kissed the top of her forehead. He got up and went to the couch and laid down. He sighed to himself. "We've both been through a lot today."

Please re-view :) Thanks for reading!


	4. Daddy's Little Liar

-Third Person-

Aria woke up when her phone buzzed. Once she fully opened her eyes, she noticed that she couldn't see straight. Or breathe. She coughed and tried to sit up. Ezra was laying on the couch sound asleep "Ezra…." she started. His eyes shot open.  
"Hey... Aria. Feeling okay?" by now she had caught her breath and was slowly sitting up. She still couldn't see from the dots cluttering her vision.  
"Yeah… but can you read that text for me?" Ezra got up and unlocked her pink phone.  
"It's from you dad. He says he's outside, parking the car."  
"Oh no! Ezra you can't be in here!"  
"Aria, don't you think..." He pauses. "Never mind."  
"Think we should tell my dad before A does."  
"Yeah." She sighs but doesn't say anything. There's a knock at the door. Byron walks in.  
"Hi Honey!" he came over and kissed Aria on the forehead. Just where her high school English teacher had just kissed her. "how are you feeling?" he asked  
"I'm okay…" Aria answered  
"Hello Mr. Fitz!" Byron said. "Thank you for staying here with Aria." |  
"It was no trouble at all. Anything to get outta work, right?" he smiled. Aria was gonna miss that smile once she told her dad and he had Ezra sent of to jail. Aria motioned for Ezra to go into the hall. "Tell you what. I'll give you guys a minute, go get a snack, then come back and get my things?"  
"Okay." Byron said. Aria nodded. When he walked out the doors, Aria wondered if she'd ever see him again.  
"Dad…We need to talk.." Aria started.  
"You know, I like that Mr. Fitz. That was so nice of him to stay here with you. Hope it wasn't too awkward for you."  
"Dad..." Aria tries to get his attention again.  
"Yeah?"  
"It wasn't awkward." She says.  
"That's good."  
"It wasn't awkward because Ezra is my boyfriend." Byron looked confused.  
"Ezra?"  
"Ezra….Fitz…" Aria looked down. Byron gasped.  
"MR. FITZ?" He comes over to her. "You and Mr. Fitz?"  
"I'm sorry! Dad, I'm really sorry. I... I..." She stumbles through her words. "We met in the summer. And we dated until the first day of school. And we tried to stop, but, I - I"  
"You WHAT?" Byron barked.  
"I love him"  
"Yeah, sure you do."  
"Dad, I do!"  
"Aria, just..." He shakes his head. He get's up and leaves the room. Aria stares at the spot her dad had just been standing.  
"I'm sorry, dad..." She mutters to the empty room.


	5. I See, said the Blind Girl

Ezra

When I walked into the doors at Rosewood high, Hanna immediately came up to me. "Is Aria okay?" She asked. Spencer and Emily came running behind her. "Han, how would he know?" Spencer rolls her eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Fitz." I tighten my jaw. "Uh, her dad texted me. She's doing fine as far as I know…" Lies lies lies. "What was wrong?" Spencer asked. It was hard looking at these girls now. I just wanted to reach out and hug them. These 4 girls had been through so much and it wasn't even really their fault. "She was de-hydrated. That's all" I said snapping back. I started walking forward and all the girls followed. "Is she coming back today?" Emily asked. It was weird walking and talking with a high school girl and not feeing guilty. Usually I was walking with Aria and I had to be pretending to talk about a school assignment. I'm sure everyone thought Aria must be flunking English. "Not today. She should be discharged later today." The bell rang. "Thank you Mr. Fitz!" Spencer and Emily started to walk away. But Hanna stayed. "Mr. Fitz? I really need to talk to you." She started. I assumed she meant a homework assignment. She grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "I wanted to tell Aria this, not you. But…" I knew what was coming. The way this week has been going, I wouldn't be surprised if a cow fell from out of the clouds. "You know about us, don't you." I asked. Looking down at my planner. She nodded. "How?" I asked. She looked uncomfortable. "I can't tell you…" she looked down. "A sent you a message, huh." Her face turned white. "You know? Aria told you?" "Yeah. Well, no. Kind of." It felt so weird talking to Hanna as my girlfriends friend, not my student. The late bell rang and the halls were clear. Hanna and I walked to the class room. I sat down my planner and started to teach, trying to get my mind off everything. When I meet Aria in the bar, to be 100% honest, I was drunk. And I didn't really care if I ever saw her again. But now all her drama and lies were my life. The smart thing would have been to tell her to find a new 1st period class and never talk to me again. I didn't need to be dragged into a legal issue. (Plus the fact that she's SEVEN years younger then me.) Or even a girl who has all this family problems. Any girl on this entire earth with that kind of baggage, would have never got my attention. But Aria, was different. I would do every fight, every question from the principal, every sleepless night, all over again for Aria.

Aria

"I so don't get this" I moan. At the second, Ezra walked in. "Well that's what happens when you skip out on English." he said with a smile on his face. I laugh. "It's math. Not -" Ezra stops me from talking and kisses me. I smile. "Come sit down!" I pat the side of the bed. He lays down on the bed next to me. I lean into him and put my math book aside. "So, Aria. Hanna know's. About us." "Yeah, she called me during lunch." "It'll be okay." He says. I nod. The door opens. Ezra moves to get up, but not quick enough. My mother stands above us, her arms folded against her chest. "Mom?" I can't believe this is happening. "Maybe I should go.." Ezra started. "No, Ezra stay please!" I grabbed his shoulder. "Excuse me, but from now on, Ezra is Mr. Fitz to you, Aria. Your father called me. And Ezra you need to leave." Ezra obeyed. He jumped of the bed and out the door. I stand up. "Mom, I-" "Aria I thought you would have learned. I already went through this with your father. How could you? You're just like Meredith!" Aria felt her face turning bright pink. "Don't you dare say that. Ezra isn't married." "Mr. Fitz." She corrects me.  
"NO, mom. Ezra. Its different." I leave the room, and my mother doesn't follow me. I run to catch up with Ezra. "Hey, sorry." I grab his hand. "Come on, let's go to the lobby until she de-fums." "She's gonna be even more mad if she finds us together." "She can deal with it." I pull him into the elevator just as it shut. Who else was to be in there, but Jenna. Ezra and I back up into the corner. Jenna takes off her glasses. I asume she's going to clean them or something. But she doesn't. She turns around and makes direct eye contact with us. And I could tell by the way her eyes were moving, and the shocked took on her face, that Jenna, isn't blind.


	6. Too Bad I'm Not Deaf Too

Aria's POV

"Uh… Um.."  
I shove past her and stopped the elevator.  
"What are you doing Aria?" Ezra gasped.  
"Relax, I'll start it again in a minute."  
"Jenna. I'm not messing with you. I want the truth, and I want it now."  
"Or what" She crosses her arms but she's terrified.  
"Jenna. Don't make me."  
"Make you what?"  
I cross my own arms. "I know about you and Toby. Don't make me threaten you with it. But I will if I have to."  
She keeps her eyes narrowed.  
-A had texted me this secret not even an hour ago. Which means A knows Jenna was here, and that I may run into her. But what I wanna know is; Why would A think I would need to threaten her?  
"You wouldn't do that. You know good and well who Toby is dating. Spencer. And you wouldn't dare do that to her."  
I rock on my heels and drop my arms.  
"Jenna, we aren't enemies here. Please, just tell me the truth."  
Jenna looked as If she gave up.  
"I'm not A, if that's what you're wondering."  
"How do you know who A is?" Ezra barged in.  
"I'm getting text from her too. None stop. Its like whoever she is, she knows everything. She knows about me and Toby, and she knows about me and Ali, and she knows the truth about that night, the fire.

Jenna's P.O.V

"Jenna…do you know who caused the fire? If.. Toby didn't?" Aria said.  
I took a deep breath.  
"You girls." I answered.  
"how did you know?" she asked  
"A.." I answered her.  
Ezra spoke next, asking the question they both wanted to know.  
"So…You're not blind are you?"  
I shook my head. "In one eye." I could see Aria walk past me and turn the elevator back on.  
"It wasn't the fire that did it!" I blurted out.  
Aria froze. And so Did Ezra.  
"Toby ended our relationship that night. Right before the fire. We were in his shed, and I was crying. I wiped my eyes on a rag that had some kind of chemical. And then I couldn't see. So he called 911. And then the fire happened."  
The elevator door opens. We all walk into the hall.  
"So you going blind was completely unrelated to the fire?"  
"Well, yeah..." She says. "I guess it was a huge coincidence." I put my glasses back on.  
"Why did you pretend to be blind then? Like in both eyes." Aria asks, leaning against the wall, like she was getting comfortable and not interested in ending the conversation. But I was.  
"It was easier. I was less of a threat."  
"From who?" She looks at me like she's trying to read my mind.  
"I have to go."  
I walk past both of them, and even though they call after me, I keep walking until I'm outside and can no longer hear them.


	7. Are You Positive?

Third Person

* * *

"Good luck" Ezra tells Aria before she steps out of his car. It was Monday, exactly one week after she fainted in class. It was her first day back at school, and Ezra's last.  
He was turning in his resignation. He had gotten a job at Hollis collage over the weekend. Aria and Ezra could be a normal, everyday couple living in Rosewood, Pennsylvania! It's about time.  
Well, besides the fact that Rosewoods newest little resident belong to 16 year old Aria.  
Aria got out of the car and Ezra went to go park. He honked at her as he drove away. She smiles and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She walked through the doors of the school.  
"Aria!" Spencer, Hanna and Emily immediately charged up to her and almost knocked her over.  
"Hi!" she said dropping her bag on the floor to hug them back. The girls where full of questions. She told them a little about what was going on, just medically mostly. She would fill them in soon, but hey she had to spread out the drama now didn't she? She didn't want them going into overdrive with her. SOMEONE had to keep a straight head during all of this.  
"There's so much to talk about!" Hanna gushed.  
"Aria, you missed so much!" Emily said.  
The girls started walking forward, Aria in the middle. "Can we all go off campus for lunch?" Hanna asked.  
"We can go right next store to the Chinese place! We have even skip 3rd or 4th period and stay longer."  
Aria sighs. "I guess. But I've missed so much school."  
"So?" Hanna shrugs. "What's one more day?"  
"Half a day," Emily reminds Hanna.  
"Right, so there's no harm."  
"Fine." Aria laughs.  
The bell run and kids scattered to 1st period. Aria wanted so badly to skip English. But, she couldn't. Not if Hanna was forcing her into skipping classes today. So, she took in a huge breath and walked into the English room. She walked right up to Ezra's desk, holding her head high.  
"Hi Mr. Fitz." She hands him a stack of papers. He looks up at her. "Here's my make up work from the week."  
"Thanks, Aria." He say. He gives her a hidden smile in his eyes before standing up. She knew this meant the meeting with his boss went well.  
"Feeling better?" He asks.  
'like you don't know' Aria thinks to herself. "Yeah, thanks." She turns and walks down the hall on seats, and sets her bags down to the one next to Spencer and sits down. She leans over and whispers to Aria. "Seriously, Aria, crush on the teacher?"  
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, Spencer." I giggle. "I do."  
She laughs too, having no idea I'm serious.

- Aria -

English goes by fairly quickly, and soon I'm on my way to my locker when the nurse stops me.  
"Hey, Aria."  
"Hi, Ms. Smith."  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Fine." I say for the hundredth time today.  
"I'm glad I found you. Friday was Junior test day."  
"Oh." I groan. "Okay. Thanks."  
She laughs. "I know I feel the same way. Usually a office full of tears."  
"I'll come by during lun-" I remember my plans. "Actually I can come now."  
"Alright, meet you there." Even though we've said goodbye we keep walking together until I stop at my locker. Awkward.  
Hanna meets me at the locker. "Hey, I'm glad you're here. Can you lend me some make up?" She asks.  
"Why, cause you don't already have enough in your bag?" I joke.  
"I switched bags and forgot to grab the make-up. And I'm gonna see Caleb next period. So, yeah."  
"Say no more. But hey," I close my locker. "Come with me to the office first."  
"Make up test?" She laughs.  
"Yeah no kidding. I thought I had ditched it."  
"There's no ditching the yearly pregnancy test."  
I laugh. "I guess not."  
The school makes us take these manditory yearly pregnancy tests. The principal of the school didn't know she was pregnant for the first five months of her pregnancy, and because of her drinking, smoking and lack of pre-natal pills, her daughter passed away after two hours of being alive. So because of this she makes sure every girl has a way to know if she's pregnant whether she thinks she is or not. Another reason is, some girls won't get a test because of embarresment or fear of their parents finding out, so this gives them a way to routinly find out without friends butting in.  
We make our way to the office, but there's a kid with a crazy nose bleed, and the aftermath of three girls involved in a cheating scam, so Hanna and I sit and wait for the chaos to go down.  
"This is amazing," Hanna says, biting into a brownie from her lunch.  
"Your mom made this?" I ask, taking a piece and eating it.  
She laughs. "No, defanatly not. Caleb did." She finishes it off. "He loves to bake. But that's not what I mean." She motions to the chaotic room. "THIS is amazing. Missing class and having an exuse!"  
"You don't have one," I point out. "Only I do."  
"That's not true," I shrug. "They encourage girls to have friends in their corner during the testing.  
"I'm not pregnant, though." I say. "We both know it."  
"But Aria..." Hanna's face gets serious. "There was that -"  
"Hanna," I snap. "We DON'T talk about it."  
I lean back and cross my arms.  
"But are you SURE you aren't pr-"  
"I'm positive."  
She snickers. "No pun intended."  
I can't help but laugh. "I'm sure." I correct myself.  
"Aria?" Ms. Smith comes out carrying the box. "Here you go." She says. "Don't forget; This test is cheep, and isn't 100% correct 100% all the time. And you should see a doctor if you suspect you're pregnant. And there are counselers to talk to, completly confidential."  
"I know." I take the test.  
"I know you know," She waves her hand. "I just have to say it."  
I shove the test into my bag and drag Hanna out of the office. "Come on, we have class."  
"Aren't you gonna take the test?"  
"Ptf, No." I laugh. "I'll keep it in my cabinet at home like the others and take it if I'm ever late for my period. That's what they're for, anyways."  
"True." She shrugs. "I took mine the day I got it though."  
"And?" We walk down the hall to our classes  
"And I got my period the day later."  
"Well that was a waist of money."  
"Right?" I stop at the bathrooms. "Oh, hey." I take a tube of lip gloss, mascara and eyeliner out of my bag. "Your makeup."  
"Oh right." She takes it. "Thanks."  
"No problem. I'll see you at lunch okay?"  
"Yup."  
She heads into the bathroom, and I go off to Science class. But half way through, I can't take it anymore. My leg keeps bouncing up and down, I can't stop tapping the desk, I can't focus on anything.  
'I'll take it if I'm ever late'  
The words buzz through my head.  
I'm not late. Am I?  
No. I'm defiantly not.  
No wait. Am I? What was I doing last time I had my period? I try and think. I was taking a History quiz.  
I raise my hand and ask to go to the bathroom. And luckily, I'm given permission. I rush over to my locker and dig for my History binder. When I find it, the whole thing spills onto the floor. Of course it does. I bend down and ignore picking the things up, but I keep looking for the quiz.  
"Aria?" Hanna stands above me. "What're you doing?" She bends down now and starts picking things up.  
"Don't ask." I say. "What're YOU doing?"  
"Oh, once I got into the bathroom I decided I didn't feel like going to class so I've been playing temple run. Then Mrs. Hannings came in and told me to go to class."  
"Oh, Hanna." I roll my eyes. "Wait!" I spot the word 'quiz' on one of the papers she's holding. I take it from her and examin it. It's defiantly the one I took last month.  
I look at the date at the top, then I look up to Hanna.  
"What's your issue?" She asks.  
"H-Hanna? Can you uh, finish cleaning this for me?" I stand up and without waiting for her answer, head towards the bathroom.

* * *

Thanks for reading :D Please review!


	8. Lights, Camera, Action!

Aria

I sit on the bathroom floor in the big stall, and stare at the test. They said it'll take a few minutes for the results. And they were right. It feels like it's been hours.  
"Aria?" I hear Hanna. I knew she'd come into the bathroom eventually, it was just a matter of when.  
"Open the stall door or I'll crawl under."  
I set the test on the toilet tank and unlock the door. Luckily, no one else is in the bathroom.  
"Thanks." She say and comes into the stall, closing it behind her. "You gonna tell me what the test said, or are you going to make me squeeze it out of you?"  
"I don't know." I tell her.  
"You don't know if you're pregnant yet?"  
"Yeah."  
"Yeah you're pregnant or yeah you don't know."  
"Han," I laugh now. "I don't know if I'm pregnant yet. The test's loading."  
She gets up and look at it, looking too grossed out by the whole thing to pick it up. "It IS loaded." She says.  
"Don't tell me what it says, I'm not ready. Unless it's negative. Then tell me."  
Hanna comes back over to me and sits down.  
"Oh no." I mutter. "It's positive isn't it?"  
She nods. "I'm sorry, Aria. But your eggo is defiantly preggo."  
"Hanna!" I rub my temple. "This is NOT time for Juno quotes!"  
She rubs my arm. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to lighten the blow."  
I sigh. "I know. Are you SURE it's positive?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Oh, gosh... I'm.. I'm pregnant?"  
"It looks the way, yeah."  
"Well this couldn't possibly get worse."  
"Well, I mean it could. Ali could still be alive and holding this over you for nine months. And basically until your kid's eighteen."  
"Han, I don't wanna think about it baby getting bigger than an orange, let alone get taller than me."  
She's quiet for a long time before she asks the question even I am thinking.  
"Well... Is it Ezra's or... you know. His."  
I look at her and shake my head. "I have no idea..."

Hanna

You know those shows on TV? Where a girl meets a really hot boy, and they kiss, then the scene cuts. Then next month the teenage girl takes a pregnancy test, it's positive, and her and the boy never speak again. And he doesn't know he's gonna be a dad till the girl is at least half way done with the pregnancy? And her parents hate her for it, and her life falls apart? That, would be considered easy for my best friend Aria. She had gotten pregnant by her high school English teacher. At least… I think she had?  
"Aria... Are you gonna tell Ezra?" I asked. She was looking down at her shoes. Something she did all the time when she was nervous. She had even admitted it to me once. That she follows the pattern on whatever shoes she's wearing, to keep her eyes from watering up. I grabbed her chin with my hand and turned her head so she was looking at me.  
"I'm here for you. You know that right?"  
Aria nodded. "Please be" she said wrapping her arms around me.  
"Hey, come on. Get up." I stand up and offer my hand. "I'll take you home."  
"No," She moans. "Anywhere but my house."  
"Alright well... Do you just wanna stay here?"  
"Go back to class? Are you crazy?"  
"I meant here." I say, motioning to the bathroom floor.  
"Oh. Well, yeah I guess. Until lunch."  
"Oh, right." I sit back down with her. "I forgot, we're getting Chinese."  
"Yeah. Third period. It's my moms class."  
"I have study hall. Emily and Spencer have PE. And we all know Coach doesn't take attendance."  
She shakes her head. "I'm gonna have to drop out of PE."  
"So?" I say, trying to cheer her up. "You hate it anyways."  
"I guess..." She leans back. "Hanna, you need to keep this between you and me."  
"You aren't gonna tell the girls?"  
"No. Or my parents, or Ezra. No one. Not yet. Not today."  
"Aria!" I say.  
"Shh!" She quiets me down as the bathroom door opens.  
"Great," I whisper. "They think we're in here having sex or something."  
She giggles, but it doesn't help our cause. She leans her head on my shoulder and sighs. "Things are gonna be so different now." She whispers.  
I don't have a reply to that, so I just take her hand in mine. And we sit there silently until the bell rings.


	9. Puddle of secrets

During lunch, Aria is so quiet I forget she's even there half the time. But when I look her way and look into her dark, closed off eyes, I wonder how long she's gonna sit there in silence until her thoughts eat her alive and she disappears into a puddle of emotions on the table, spilling every secret she was holding in - stuff I wouldn't even know. But she doesn't. We're all finished with our food, it's time to go back to class, and she hasn't said more than a few words. When we ask her, Aria just says it's cause she's tired. I know enough not to pry. Emily except this answer considering the past week. But Spencer can't write this off as a little bit of sleepiness.  
"Come on, Aria. What gives? There's obviously something wrong."  
Aria shakes her head "No... Nothing's wrong. I'm just -"  
"Tired." Spencer interrupts her. "So we've heard."  
Aria shrugs. "Come on guys, let's get the check and go."  
"No, not till you tell us what's wrong."  
"Guys," Aria's face softens. "It's nothing."  
I roll my eyes, she sees, and gives me a dirty look. Spencer eyes her up and down, then looks to me. "Do YOU trust her?" She asks.  
"Um, well," I say looking to Aria for help. She gives me pleading eyes. I sigh. "Yeah. I think she's just really tired."  
Spencer slumps in her chair. "Alrighty then. Someone go get the check."  
"I'll get it," Aria offers, jumping at the chance to get away from us. We pay for our food and head back to the school.  
Aria and I fall behind of Spencer and Emily, using this opportunity talk. Although I expected Aria not to want to talk, she seems willing.  
"Are you SURE you can't tell them?" I whisper.  
"I will," She hisses back. "Just not now."  
"Don't snap at me." I cross my arms.  
"I'm sorry," she says messing with her bracelet. "It's the hormones." She giggles.  
I laugh too. "Hey you can't use that excuse for a few more weeks."  
"I don't even know how far along I am... For all know, I might be far along enough to use the swollen feet excuse too."  
I rub her back. "You need to find out."  
"I know, and I will. I just found out a few hours ago... I can't deal with it right now."  
"But you will, right?"  
"I already said I will." She says louder than she should.  
Spencer stops walking and turns around. "Will what?" Emily sees Spencer stopping, and stops also while Aria and I catch up.  
"Get the mole on her back checked out." I say, casually.  
Aria, Emily and Spencer stare at me.  
"Um, well already then." Spencer says, then starts walking again with Emily.  
Aria gives me a dirty look.  
"What? It's the first thing I came up with." I shrug. She rolls her eyes and we keep walking towards the school, silently, lost in our own terrified thoughts.


	10. Who's your daddy?

Third Person

Aria walked through the hall with her head down, afraid if she makes eye contact with people, they'll try to talk to her. Ask her how she's feeling. Like she hasn't been asked enough today. She shuffles over to the gym for her last PE class. She was so focused on not looking up that she runs into someone. "Oh, sorry!" She looks up now. It was Ezra. Of COURSE it would be Ezra.  
"It's fine." He says. "You okay?"  
Aria nodded. "Tell you later" she said as she shoved pass him. He grabbed her arm.  
"Aria is something wrong?" Aria looked down at his hand. He quickly jerked it away. "Sorry" he said. Aria tried to smile.  
"It's nothing. But really, I gotta get going. You know, PE." She shrugs. "Gotta change first."  
"Alright..." He isn't convinced. "You're gonna stop by my house tonight, right?"  
"Um..." She glances around. "Maybe. I'll call you." She walks past him.  
"But -"  
"Bye!" She waves over her shoulder and jogs to the gym.  
Ezra stands behind her, and drops his shoulders in dissapointment. He makes his way to the teachers lounge to re-fill his coffee cup before next period.  
Aria takes her time changing into her sweat pants and "Shark" PE shirt.  
She's the last one to leave the locker room, and the first to finish the warm up laps. She puts all of her anger and fear into sprinting the half mile. She'd go for more, keep running till the last girl had finished. But a stabbing cramp stops her from running. She slows down until she's stopped, and bends over, pretending to rub her ankel.  
"Get hurt, Montomgery?" The coach asks.  
"No.." She sighs. "I'm fine."  
"You tore up the track. I had no idea you were that much of an athlete."  
"Yeah, me either." She stands up and holds her side now.  
"I'm guessing those red cheeks aren't just from running." The coach hits her shoulder. "All it takes it a little anger and you can run a marathon. That's why I always call up my mother before meets."  
Aria can't help but laugh. The coach blows her whistle, telling everyone to take a two minute water break then meet her outside for soccer.  
"You alright?" Hanna jogs over to Aria.  
"Side cramp." Aria says. "I just need some water."  
"You sure that's all?" Hanna eyes her. Aria moans. "No, but, you know. Whatever. Besides, your uterous is like..." she stops and thinks. "I have no idea where. But not here." She points to her side. "This is just a runners cramp. I'm fine."  
The girls get in the long line for the water fountin. Hanna leans over and whispers to Aria. "If you told everyone you were pregnant, you'd get to go first for the water."  
Aria laughs. "Yeah Miley and if you told everyone you were really Hanna Montana you could go first too."  
Hanna elbows Aria. "Nice one. But you should sit out PE."  
"Why?" Aria crosses her arms. "I'm fine. I'm not terminal."  
Hanna shrugs. "You're insane. I'd sit out for a hang nail if I could. And you have a legit excuse and you're all ready to be hot and sweaty playing soccer?"  
"Soccers actually fun." Aria says. "I like it. Plus I'll let out some steam."  
"You have more left in you?" the line moves up and Aria takes a long drink of water.  
"All I'm saying is, until you know who's kid this is, you should take care of your-"  
Aria springs up and whipes the water from her mouth. Luckily they were the last two in line, and no one is wittnessing the scene. "What kind of monster do you think I am? I don't care if this baby is Ezra's or not. I mean, I care but, you know. I'm not gonna hurt or murder the poor child like it's his fault for being there!" Saying the word murder made Aria cringe. "I don't want to be a mom now. Not one bit. But this baby is half mine - regardless on who's the other half is. And I'm not gonna go run until it dies just cause some idiot -" She stops talking and takes a deep breath. "Some idiot date rapped me and got me pregnant. It's not the kids fault."  
Aria walks towards the door and Hanna follows. "You're right. I'm sorry. It was a joke. But, for the record, if it is his kid..." She punches her palm. "I'm gonna hunt him down and kill him."  
"Get his medical history first so I know what I'm dealing with." Aria jokes. "You know, I'd hate to have a baby and not know half about it's history."  
"So let's hope it's Ezras."  
"No, let's not." Aria pushes open the gym door.  
"You don't want it to be Ezra's?"  
"No. It'll be hard enough giving up my baby, but giving up a baby with Ezra's eyes?" She shakes her head. "Impossible."  
"If it was his, you'll give it up?" Hanna asks.  
"I don't know, Hanna. Let's just play. Come on." She drags Hanna to the field. Aria's team wins the game, thanks to her. If it weren't for the baby, she'd consider taking up sports. Apparently, she's good at them.  
After she changes back into her clothes and ditches Hanna, she wanders down the hall, too lost in her thoughts to remember what class she's going to.  
"Aria?" Ella pokes her head out of the class room. Oh, right. History class was next. Aria enters her moms room.  
"Yeah, mom?"  
She sighs. "I'm going to switch you into regular English, okay? Because of Mr. Fitz."  
Aria rolls her eyes. "Mom, he got another job. He's not working here much longer."  
"Well just until then." She says in that one tone of voice that makes Aria so angry.  
"When are you gonna let it go? He got another Job, okay?" Aria says in a quiet but sharp voice. "I learned my lesson. But in my defense, YOU let me go into that bar. YOU told me to follow my heart. And YOU said to make myself happy, and not worry about what the world says. He makes me happy, and you should be glad someone loves me enough to go through all of this. I mean gosh, why would we risk all of this if we didn't truly love each other?" Aria could literately see her moms heart soften up. But she didn't say anything. Aria finds a seat in the back, sits down, opens her note book, and scribbles down the homework assignment on the board. Her mom continues class as if nothing happened, as if nothing phases her. Just wait till she hears part two of the news. And once again Aria prays the baby isn't Ezra's.


	11. Sealed and Sent

-Aria-

"Like I said," I say, out of breath, as Hanna and I jog together in PE, again. "I do care about the kid. I mean, it is not the baby's fault. So I made an appointment to get a check up. It's tomorrow at four. They got me in so early cause they had a cancellation. Lucky me."  
Hanna slows down to talk and I do, too.  
"Are you gonna tell Ezra before the appointment?" She asks.  
"I don't know." I sigh. "I mean on one hand, he might be upset he didn't get to go to the first one. What if I get an ultrasound? Or find out something major? And he isn't there? And he missed it?"  
"It may not even be his kid though."  
"Exactly," I say. "And if I go before telling him, I'd have more information, you know? So when I tell him I'm you-know-what, I'd know whether or not it's his."  
"How can they tell?" She asks.  
"How far along the baby is. Then I'd know when it was.. you know. Concived."  
"So, maybe you should wait. No point in making him think he has a kid unless he does."  
"But what if it and he missed the first-"  
"Just say no to an ultrasound."  
"That's how they'll be able to tell, Han." I pick up my pace again so she can't talk. We jog for a while without talking.  
I stop running, and Hanna stops at a halt, too. "You okay?"  
"A might tell him before I do." I say.  
"Gosh Aria, I thought you were hurt or something." our class mates pass by us.  
I roll my eyes. "Han, are you gonna think I'm going into labor everytime I breath or something."  
"You did pass out." She shrugs. "Sorry. But, go on."  
We walk now. "If A tells Ezra, I'll never be able to forgive myself."  
"So tell him..."  
"I am. Right now." I run again, heading towards my bag.  
"NOW?" Hanna struggles to keep up with me.  
"Yes, now. Or I'll lose the guts to do it."  
"But he's in class..."  
Ezra had to finish out the week.  
"I'll pull him out. This is important."  
"Aria you're being irrational." Hanna pulls my arm. And I know she's right. I take a huge breath.  
"I need to do this now..."  
Hanna looks at me intensly. "Come on." She pulls my to our stuff, grabs it, and calls over to the coach that we're using the bathroom. She waves us off, her way of saying okay. And, without knowing why, I let Hanna drag me to the English room.  
She knocks on the door. "Stay here." She says. I listen.  
Ezra opens the door, and she goes in. He eyes me like I've lost it. I so have.  
Hanna says something to Ezra, and soon he's standing outside his door with me.  
"Aria..." He asks, patienly. "Why did Hanna just tell me to wait in the hall while she announces something."  
"Uh,"  
"Teacher surprise party?" He asks.  
"Sure..." I roll my eyes. "Anyways, there's something I need to tell you."  
"Right now?"  
Suddenly I realized how stupid this was. He's gonna be distracted the rest of the day. Then again... this way she could leave him with the news and run away.. not have to deal with it till after he de-fummed. And, he'd have class to keep his mind a little distracted from the news, instead of sitting home going nuts.  
"Yes, right now. Cause if I don't tell you now I'm not gonna. I'll chicken out and you'll hear about it from someone else. Probably Hanna." I roll my eyes, seeing her sit on Mr. Fitz's desk and cross her legs like she owned the room.  
"Well, what is it?" He looks at me with concern.  
"I'm... Uh..." I knock on the door, catching Hanna's attention. She gets up and says something to the class. She better not be asking for money in there for a fake present for Mr. Fitz.  
"I'm pregnant, Ezra..."  
His entire face goes instanly white.  
"You're... you're what?"  
Hanna strolls over now, and I've never been happier for her to come rescue me.  
"I'm not sure if it's yours or not."  
Hanna comes out. "You slept with other men?!" He asks, enraged.  
"Well... Not exactly. Kinda..."  
"She was date rapped." Hanna explains.  
"You were rapped?" His eyes go from angry to heart broken, and I just can't stand here anymore and watch his emotions kill him.  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I say. "But I didn't wanna talk about it. We'll talk after school, okay?" I start to walk away.  
"No, Aria!" he yells down the hall.  
"I'm sorry..." I call behind me.  
"Ms. Montgomery, I need to speak with you."  
"Not now..."  
"Aria, you come back here, or you have detention after school!"  
I stop and turn around now.  
"Okay, Mr. Fitz." I narrow my eyes at him, and keep walking with Hanna back to PE, where I beat the schools record on the mile dash. Anger can do wonderful things.

It's two thirty. School's offically out. But not for me. Ezra switched 'detention' to 'tutoring' so I'm sitting in his class room, and I'm in the back row, pretending to not care that he's a few feet away in another desk, staring at me as if comprehending the situation.  
"Aria, where do I start?"  
I look up. "Well, usually you ask what I need tutoring with, then we find it in the book and you explain it, then we work through a few examples and then you let-"  
"Aria, just, cut it out." He moves a few seats up. "Start at the very beginning. The date rape. What happened?"  
"I was on a date, and I got raped."  
"Aria!" He raises his voice, then calms himself. "This is very serious. You do know that right?"  
"I know..." I sigh. "I know. But you didn't have to give me detention."  
"You didn't have the break the news to me like that."  
"It was the only way I could think of..."  
He stares at me for a few seconds, poundering if he wants to pick this battle or just move on. But before we can start fighting, I talk.  
"I don't know who it was." I start. "I was at this party...I don't even really remember who's party it was...Or where it was... or who was there... I think it might've been a college party... I was so drugged up..."  
"You do drugs?" His eyes grow wider than mine the night of the party.  
"No, I did drugs once. That night. It was stupid, I know. I was kinda tricked. Pressured. Seduced. Yeah. You know how it is. I was nieve about the drugs. And I was told I was taking way less than I was. Anyways... I was just hanging out, then I got fuzzy I just remember playing pool, and hitting myself in the head with the pole. My shirt was wet... So I went home... Or maybe I went home cause my head hurt... no, wait, I think I was still at the party. Yeah, I went upstairs and fell asleep then got up to take a shower. And I fell asleep IN the shower... and woke up... in the middle of sex... then, I was knocked out.." I rub my head. "My head hurt for a week."  
"Awe, Aria..." he touches my hand. "When was this?"  
"About three months ago..."  
"Three months ago...? We had sex for the first time just two months ago..."  
"Yeah, I know."  
"You let me undress you and you agreed to sex just a month after being raped?"  
I shrug. "I told you. I hardly remembered if it ever happened. I thought it was just from the LCD and beer. Until..."  
"What?"  
"When we had sex... I remembered a little... Just... A little... Enough to know it defanatly happened... Which is why we've only had sex once. And the only reason we even did it in the bathroom was because I wanted to erase the twilight rape from my mind. It kinda did the oppasite, though."  
"Do you remember who it was?"  
"Not at all..."  
"Did you lose your virginity to him?" He asks, carefully like he's crossing a line.  
"Yeah. Except I didn't lose it, it was stolen..."  
And then I start to cry. And I can't focus on it. So I just move on.  
"Anyways, this happened a month before we started dating. Then we met in the bar... we had sex... we got together, you know the story."  
"When did you find out you were pregnant? And how?"  
"Three days ago." I tell him. "And I took a pregnancy test."  
He takes it in. "Alright, Ms. Montgomery." He stands up. "Let's go."  
"Where?" I ask, collecting my stuff. He give me a 'you know where' look. So we take our seperate cars and meet up at his apartment.  
We ignore the baby subject and he grills me on more details about the rape. But when I start crying again, he realizes I don't want to talk about it. So, we moves on to the pregnancy. But then he realizes this makes me feel worse. So we watch a movie and I fall asleep. It's not until he wakes me up because my mom called my cell phone that we talk about it again.  
"I know it's early... But are you thinking you want to keep it?" He asks me.  
"I don't know... what do you think?"  
"Honestly...?" He takes in a deep breath. "I want what's best for her... I want to keep her. I really do. I'd pick up and move to Alaska where no one knew us so we could keep her. But I don't want you to give up your life for her if you don't want to. She deserves two parents. Not just me. So it's up to you."  
I'm taken back by his answer. That's not what I meant at all. I meant what he thought I should do... I hadn't ever considered he'd want a part in the babies life.  
"What if it isn't yours?"  
"Well... if it's not mine... then... I guess I'll be 'mom's boyfriend'... if you keep the child..."  
"Well we should wait on deciding anything till we know who's it is..."  
"Right."  
We settle back into the couch and relax. "You said 'she..'" I say. "You want a girl? I mean, if it's yours..."  
"Yeah..." He smiles. "Daddy's little girl, you know? But we're getting ahead of ourselves here... Even if the baby isn't mine, I'll be 'daddy'... If you want me to.. I mean, if you want to do adoption that's fine, regardless of the father but if it's his and he or she needs a dad... I'm here.." Ezra's talking all over the place. He's not making sense anymore, because none of this makes sense. It's like we're running in circles.  
Daddy's little girl. In that second, it stuck me that this baby was real. That this isn't a lie I can get out of… This is for the rest of my life. And what's worse is that if  
this happened in five years, Ezra and I would be married, and he would have picked me up and spun me around. Mom would take me shopping, buying pink flowery things before we even knew if it was a girl. Dad would insist it was a boy, and talk about taking him to baseball games.  
I didn't notice, but I guess I was crying, because Ezra's whiping tears away with this thumb. I feel his skin on mine, and our flesh is the only thing that's keeping our souls from touching. Love so big it can create new life. Even if the baby isn't Ezra's, together we'd make the baby who he or she is, raising it to be who God created them to be, whether Ezra and mine, or the rapists and my gene combination made the baby, Ezra and I would be the reason the baby was born. For us to have.  
"No," I push his hand away. "No adoption. I'm gonna keep him. Or her. Shim. I'm keeping Shim. WE'RE keeping Shim. Keeping..." I roll my eyes. "Like it's a kitten. You know, God gave us this kid, right? I mean it wasn't quiet made out of love. One was force and one was drunken lust on the first date. There's a reason the kid's here, right? If He didn't want US to have the baby, it wouldn't have been made... And we wouldn't have been together, you know? If you aren't suppossed to be dad... I wouldn't have met you..."  
"You're right..."  
"So, we'll be mom and dad." I take his hand. "Will you? I mean..." I look into his eyes. "Can we pull this off? Can we be parents?"  
"Is that what you really want, Aria?" he asked.  
I nod. "I think so..."  
He kissed my cheek and leans his head on mine. "Okay." Is all he replies.  
Okay. It's done. It's decided. Sealed with a kiss.


	12. One kid, two kid, red kid, blue kid

-Aria's POV-

Hanna, Ezra and I debated whether or not I should tell my parents and the girls before going to the doctor. Finally, I said "I'm not emotionally prepared to tell them now, and every day we waist waiting for me to magically find a way to tell them, we're one day further away from finding out if the baby's even okay."  
So we go to the teen pregnancy center two hours away from Rosewood. Well, I go.  
"We can't walk in there together, Ezra." I had said. "That's suicide."  
But to my surprise, Ezra ignores my warning, and comes in a hoddie with his head down about ten minutes after I get there. And he sits on the other side of the room. And even though we're on other sides of the room, I feel closer to him than ever.  
Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've been having these crazy dreams that wake me up in the middle of the night. I've had so many variations of being in a doctors waiting room. In one, I went back and my baby was an alien. In one, I was having triplets. And in one, the baby was dead, and the best yet, in the most recent, the baby was growing from my shoulder instead of my stomach. So waiting for this appointment is racking my nerves.  
"Aria M?"  
I flinch when the nurse calls my name. So does Ezra. I make my way back, and Ezra, deciding this undercover thing is really annoying, slips the hood off and follows. A nurse leads us back to the room, and asks if I give consent for a pelvic exam. I say sure, till she hands me a paper gown skirt thingy and tells me to leave my jeans and underwear on the chair. Then I tell her I've changed my mind and I don't want one. No way will I get naked in front of Ezra. Not that way. Ew. So she weighs me and takes my blood pressure, checks my heart and lungs, and I kinda feel like I'm getting a check up. Then she examines my boobs and I'm well aware this isn't a normal visit. This is what new moms go through.  
They take my blood and make me pee in a cup. Then finally, after all of that, the doctor comes in. She introduces herself as Doctor Fredricks. And she gets my medical history and family history, then, she asks when my last period was so we could determine my due date.  
"Well..." I say. "That's why I'm here..." I shift uncomfortable. Dr. Fredricks waits patiently. She's used to this.  
"Well I haven't had my period in months. I'm on birth control because it was too heavy. Now I don't have a period at all so I don't know my due date."  
"Oh, alright." She writes it down. "Did you want to do an ultrasound to see? Or do you have an idea with the date of conception?"  
"I've only had sex twice. I'm either two months or three months from conception."  
"We'll go ahead and do an ultrasound, then."  
And so she sets it up, and we see the little black patch that's the baby on the screen. I thought I'd be over come with emotions of all kind, but honestly, I'm not. Not until the nurse gets this freaked out look, and says she'll be right back. Then I freak out. And so does Ezra.  
The nurse brings back a middle aged woman, who tells us she's the head Ob/gyn at the clinic, Dr. Jinkins, and she was just gonna take a look. The two doctors whisper to each other for a long time, then switch off the screen and look at me.  
"Aria, did you know you had a condition called Uterine Didelphys?" Dr. Jinkins asks.  
"Um..." I sit up. "No... I don't even know what it is..."  
They look to each other like, "What do we say to this teenage girl?"  
"What is it?" Ezra asks.  
"Well... Aria.. You have two uterus. Most woman -"  
"Yeah, yeah I know most woman have one, I have two, I'm a freak, I know." I groan. This is one I didn't dream about. Or maybe I did. Maybe I'm dreaming. "Am I dreaming?" I ask Ezra. He shakes his head sympathetically. "Okay so this is obviously rare, right?"  
"Very rare." Dr. Jinkins explains.  
"Is it bad?" I ask.  
"Well, it had risks for miscarriage and premature labor. But, no, it's not fatal to you."  
"Just my kid."  
She looks down, like she's been corrected.  
"Kids..." Dr. Fredricks speaks up now.  
"Kids?!" Ezra stands up. "As in... two?"  
Dr. Jinkins looks annoyed with her employee, but drops it. "Aria, you have two babies. But they aren't twins. One is in one uterus and one is in the other."  
"They were conceived at different times, weren't they...?" Ezra's about to cry.  
"They were..."  
"Oh my gosh..." I look to Ezra. These two doctors have no idea what this means to us.


	13. Inside of Me

*Read with cation, it gets dark. Mature topic.*

* * *

Ezra's P.O.V

* * *

Aria lays on the couch and I'm cooking us dinner. This news hit me harder than it hit her. She was prepared for this. Well, not THIS. But she's had way more time to process the whole situation of rape baby and pregnancy. Me? Not so much. "I can't believe my baby is laying next to a rapists baby..." i mutter to myself. Aria stops reading, and sits up at the speed of lightning.  
"Oh my gosh..."  
I think she's mad.  
"Aria, I-"  
"Oh my gosh... I'm pregnant with the rapists baby..."  
I thought she knew this?  
"It's...It's inside of me.."  
Now she's breathing faster.  
"Aria..." I turn the stove off and go towards her. "It's okay..."  
"We, we need to go back.." She stands up now, going towards the door.  
"Why?" I ask her, my feet stuck to the floor.  
"I need them to take it out... I need..." She trips over her own feet and pumps her face into the table.  
"Aria stop-"  
"Abortion." She scrambles to her feet and finds her purse. Her nose is bleeding now. "I need him out of there..."  
"No, Aria." I grab her arm and she screams.  
"Let go of me!" She starts to cry now. She's having a panic attack.  
"Aria..." I pick her up and lift her away from the door, and I carry her over to the couch.  
"It's inside of me! He's inside of me!" Part of the man who stole her virginity is growing inside of her and she just realized it.  
"Aria, it's alright." I lay her down on the couch. She thrashes her legs and knocks my lamp down. I pin her down when she tries to run again. "Let go of me!" She cries. "Don't do this!"  
"Aria, you're gonna hurt yourself if I let you go."  
"No, not again, please, I don't want this! I hate this, stop!"  
I let go of her. She's not talking to me anymore. She's remembering. Having a flash back. A hallucination.  
I take her hand. "Aria, it's okay, it's me, Ezra..." I put my hand on her knee and she cries harder. "Dad, please, don't! Please!"  
I step back from her. "...Dad...?" I ask. Aria stops crying almost immediately. She's snapped out of it. She sits up and touches her nose and wipes the rest of the blood away with her sleeve. "It was my dad..." She tells me. "Oh my gosh..."  
"Oh, Aria..." I sit down with her again. But I don't touch her.  
"It was my dad... He did it..." She leans into me and I hold her now. If I don't hang onto her, I will get up and go find her father and kill him.


	14. Don't remind me (Flashback Chapter)

**Mature content. Read with cation!**

* * *

***Flashback****

* * *

Aria's POV

* * *

_"I'm sorry, I have to go!" I scream to the crowd that gathered around me. It was the last day of school, and shouldn't go out with a bang? Well way more than one, judging by the noises upstairs. The crowd, mostly containing half of the boys in my junior class, starts chanting "ONE MORE SHOT, ONE MORE SHOT." Just one more couldn't hurt. I was already drunk out of my mind and tripping acid. The worst thing I could do next would be doing the ice Noel Kahn brought. Sean Colver places another shot on his pelvis, and I lean down and grab the tiny glass with my teeth. This is when a lot of practice pulls off. I swing my head back, swallow the burning liquid, and gently set it back to its original place. "Now guys, I really have to..." It was then when I realized I was missing my shirt. Not only that, but my bra was drenched in sweat and Tequila. What if I got pulled over? "Alrighty. First one who gives me their shirt gets four tablets and an eightball…" Marcus throws me his Pink Floyd shirt. I go out of the house, trying to avoid any of my friends. They're all there. But they were more careful than I was. They won't let me drive home like this. But I don't want my dad to know I'm drunk. I know the punishment I'll get. So I sneak out and get to the car. I fumble with my keys. Why are they floating? Or maybe the car shrunk! Dude, that's wicked. And why is Sara Bernard glowing? Orange does NOT suit her._  
_I finally get my keys into the lock, and start up my car. On my way home, I managed to see three penguins prancing down the road. Go home little birdies! When I arrive home, all in one piece, I notice both Mike and my mother's cars are gone. Uh oh...Not only am I late, but I smell like a whorehouse. I open the door as quietly as possible, and quietly close the door. No lights are on, which isn't necessarily good sign. I throw my purse on the kitchen table right after extracting the excess tablets. I'd be dead if those were found. Did Noel possibly expect me to take six at a time? I could barely take two. I shove the Ziploc baggie in the pocket of my jeans and quietly stalk up the creaky stairs. The door to both my parent's room and my father's study were closed. Thank God._

* * *

Byron's POV

* * *

_I'm going over lesson plans in my study when I hear a door slam shut. My wife's out of town, Mike and Aria are both at a graduation party. I wonder which of my kids came come early. I see light coming from Aria's room. I crack open her door and see Aria's bare milky back facing me. No. No, no, no... Not again, NO!_  
_I hate seeing her like this. Naked. It brings back these intense memories of quilt. I can't handle them. I would never consider touching her again. Not like I had when she was in elementary. Well, until this 'A' girl came into my life. _"Do it with your little home-made sex toy again, or I'll tell her what she doesn't remember. I'll tell her she has a half sister named Alison who you also fooled with. Oh, and, don't make me tell Aria that you made them do three somes! I'm sure the poor little three year old doesn't remember being naked and half asleep with you and Ali. And I'm sure she doesn't remember what you did. But I'll tell her. Don't doubt it. - A"  
_I slam the door shut, causing her to jump, squeal, and cover herself with her robe._  
_"Aria? I thought you were at the party?" I glance at her face in the mirror, and notice her eyes are dilated. _  
_"Well I was…but then…uh…Hanna started throwing up like CRAZY! So I took her home early and came here." I step forward, spin her around, and grab a hold of her wrists. She whimpers in pain but I pay no mind. I know she was at a party with insane drugs and alchohal. Usually, I wouldn't let her go. But I knew if she went she'd get drunk and hopefully not remember this. I smell the alchohal on her clothes. _  
_"Listen, Aria..." I try and make this easy. "Just take off you clothes and I'll take them to the hamper."_  
_"That's alright..." She says backing up. "I'm gonna go shower..."_  
_"Alright..." I nod. She collects her pj's and slides past me into the bathroom. I sit down on her bed and look through the pockets in her jeans. _  
_I paid Noel to give her six. There's four left. Dang it..._  
_I take three for myself and leave the last one for her. She'll need it tomorrow... If she remembers..._  
_She probably won't. But I will. I grab the last. I'll need it more._  
_I take a deep breath and sneak into the bathroom. Aria's sitting in the corner of the shower, holding the soap. She fell asleep in the middle of her shower. I whisper to her how sorry I am, then I climb into the shower with her. She hardly wakes up the whole time. Thank God._


	15. Fear of Anger

"Stay in the car or I swear-" I point my finger at Ezra.  
"Aria if I let you in there by yourself he could -"  
"What? What could he do that's worse than this!?" I snap back.  
We sit in my drive way. I made Ezra drive me over as soon as I remembered.  
We argue longer, then I just give up and let him come.  
"Don't start a fight." I tell him. "And DO NOT tell him I'm pregnant. Swear?"  
"Fine."  
"No touching him. No hinting or mentioning babies. Just keep quiet."  
"I said fine..." He says as we walk up the drive way.  
I unlock the front door and go in. "Mom? Dad? Mike?"  
The house is quiet. But, mom comes down the stairs. "Oh, hey you." She smiles at me. Then she sees Ezra. "Oh. Hi, Ezra." Her smile is stiff. But she's trying. She's trying to love him. Trying to forgive me. Trying to except my love. She didn't ship him to jail or me to boarding school. She is being the best mom a woman could be. "Do you guys want some coffee, or tea?" she picks up a tea bot.  
She's trying so hard...  
She has no idea what her husband did.  
"Mom..." I start to cry. "Mom, I'm pregnant."  
She stops dead in her tracks, and she drops the tea pot and it shatters.  
Ezra jumps, and goes to help her get out of the glass pile. "Is, is it Ezras?" She asks, jerking her arm away from him.  
"Mom..." I start to cry harder. "Mom... It's..." I can't stop saying her name.  
"Aria," she steps over to me and puts her hands on my shoulders. "Spit it out! Who's is it?"  
"I... It's..."  
"Byron's." Ezra speaks up. He comes over and puts a hand on her shoulder.  
I nod, chocking on my sobs. "It's dads. He... he..."  
Ezra pulls me into a hug, and my mom stands there speechless.  
"W-what? Dad... what?"  
I can't talk. Ezra explains what happened to her. And he also explains the two babies. One being dads and one being his. And then she starts crying. And then Ezra pulls her in and hug the both of us for a long time. He holds us until my dad and brother both come home at the same time. "Hey, what's wrong?" Dad asks, concered. My mom slowly detaches from Ezra and glares at him.  
"You!" She yells, lunging at my father. Ezra holds her back, and Mike, not knowing what's up, helps. "You raped our daughter?! You got our daughter pregnant! Did you know that?"  
"You WHAT?" Mike let's go of my mom and is nearly ready to kill him. My brother socks dad in the face, and Ezra does the same to Mike so he'll back up. My mom stops fighing and grows limp in Ezra's arms.  
"Byron, go. Now!" Ezra tells my dad.  
My dad obeys. He's not angry. He's guilty. So he takes his keys and leaves. And I clean up Mike's nose. And Ezra apologizes. And Ezra cleans up the glass. And my mom makes up a bed for Ezra on the couch to stay over tonight. She says it's for me. To make me feel better to have him downstairs. But I know better. I know my mom. It's because if my dad comes back, she needs Ezra to make him leave again before she see's he came home. I think she's scared at her anger. Scared enough to have my boyfriend sleeping on the couch downstairs.


	16. Morning Sickness

**Aria**

I wasn't allowed out of the house for a few days. My mom wanted me to stay home from school for a few days after what happened. And I wasn't arguing. But a week and a half I was really stir crazy. So I was allowed to go to Hanna's and spend the night. And boy did I miss them.  
Spencer pops a Dorito into her mouth. "And remember that time when Ali told the manager at Apple Bee's it was Emily's birthday?" She asks placing a hand on Emily's knee. "And they brought her a cake, and Ali threw it at Aria?" Spencer said pushing the chip to one side of her mouth to talk.  
I winced. uh... I could smell the invisible cake still on me and it made my stomach turn.  
"I remember that!" Hanna squealed. "She said we'd 'take it outside' then she just randomly threw it at her."  
"Aria, remember you started licking your fingers?" Emily giggles.  
"No, Em, you did that after you scraped it off my face" All four of us laughed. I missed these sleepovers.  
"Aria, Do you think once Mr. Fitz finishes at Rosewood, we could all hang out? Like the four of us and him? You know... Since we still can't have double dates." Spencer asked.  
"I guess..." I answered suddenly feeling tired and sick. Emily and Spencer found out about Ezra the night he slept over. I had to tell them, along with what happened with my dad... But not the babies.  
Now that they've adjusted, they're all over Mr. Fitz being called Ezra.  
I close the bag of Doritos that were right in front of me.  
"Hey, I wasn't done" Spencer said opening the bag again.  
"Then take them over there..." I said inching them over to her. She picked them up and sat them next to her.  
"Trying to watch your waist? Emily asked. "Don't. You look great"  
I didn't answer. If I opened my mouth now, I'd throw up for sure. I just smiled and followed the pattern on the rug trying not to throw up in front of them. By the way, who ever named it 'morning sickness' was way off. Cause even at eight at night I could just bring my pillow into the bathroom and sleep on the floor. 'I can just casually go to the bathroom and no one will have to know…' I thought to myself. But I didn't have any more time to think of a good plan. As Emily's phone buzzed I covered my hand with my mouth and ran to the bathroom slamming the door behind me. I wished so badly the reason I was puking into my friends toilet right now was because I had to many Doritos. But no. It was my fathers sick hobby.

**Emily:**

The three of us sat there awkwardly. "Poor Aria" I finally said not knowing what else to say.  
"Shoulda closed the bag" Hanna shrugged.  
"She didn't eat a single one though…" Spencer said, as I pick up my phone to read the text.  
"Its from A!" I gasped. The girls huddled around me.

_"Hey Em! Aria IS watching her waist. Cause its gonna get bigger.. and bigger…and bigger. - A"_

Hanna closed her eyes. "Shoot" she muttered. Spencer and I look at her.  
"Hanna… Do you know something?" I ask. Hanna shakes her head. But it wasn't a 'no' shake. It was an 'I can't tell' shake.  
"Hanna, is Aria pregnant?" Spencer asks.  
Hanna sighs. "I'm gonna go check on her" She says as she stands up.

** Aria:**

I was sitting with my back up against the wall hugging my knees to my chest and resting my chin on my knee when Hanna knocked on the bathroom door.  
She opened it, and without saying anything sat down next to me.  
Finally, she spoke. "Remember when it was the other way around?" She says with memories in her voice. I didn't look up. I didn't want her to see I was crying. But I had a feeling she knew.  
"When you walked in on me after throwing up, and I was crying, and you were the only one who could make me feel better?"  
I looked up now. "This is different. Not to be rude at all, but I can't just chose to stop."  
Hanna nodded. "I was getting to that" she said. "That was my choice. To make myself throw up. But, I didn't get anything good out of it. But even though this isn't your choice, you are gonna get something good out of it."  
I whipped my eyes, but it wouldn't do any good. I already made a fool of myself. "How are you so sure this is a good thing?" I ask.  
Hanna lets out a sympathetic sigh. "Every new life is a good thing." She says. "And even if it doesn't seem easy, I'm here for you. And Emily and Spencer will be too if you tell them."  
I sighed. "Okay… But will you come with me?" Hanna stood up and held out her hand. Once I was steady on my feet she hugged me.  
"It'll be just fine…." she assured me. It kinda felt like it was Ali hugging me. In fact, it felt like she was standing right next to me, telling me that everything was gonna be okay. I wished she was.

WOW it has been a long time since I've posted! I'm so sorry! Please review. :)


	17. Dad's home? See ya!

-Aria-

"Hey," I shuffle down the stairs and into the kitchen. Mom's sitting at the table on her laptop. She stops what she's doing immeditaly and looks up.  
"Aria," She smiles. "How are you feeling? Better?"  
I shrug. "I think so. Physically, anyways." I flop down at the kitchen table. "I feel so bad about leaving the sleep over last night."  
"Honey, you threw up seven times before midnight."  
I giggle a little. "They were happy to see me leave."  
"Aw, baby," She pushes her laptop away. "Not you. Just your puke."  
I playfully hit her.  
"Do you want breakfast?" She asks, getting up. "I'm gonna make myself toast."  
I cover my nose with my sleeve. "Wait till I leave."  
"Where you going?" She looks concurned.  
"I'm just going upstairs..." I say, pushing my chair in.  
"Oh..." She goes back to her bread.  
"Mom, when is dad... you know... what are we gonna do?"  
She sighs. "Well he needs to come home and get his stuff... He's gonna go over to New Jersey and stay with his brother..."  
"Are you guys getting a divorce...?" I ask quietly.  
"Do you want us to?"  
"I..." I stammer. "I don't know..."  
"Do you forgive him?" She asks, stunned.  
"I don't know..." I say once again. "Not really... But He's... he's dad... There HAS to be a reason... Right?"  
She shakes her head. "I don't know, baby." She comes over and tucks hair behind my ear. "I wouldn't get your hopes up."  
"Should I... be scared of him?"  
"I don't think so." she shakes her head. "But if you want to get out of the house while he's here I won't blame you..."  
"When's he coming?"  
"Around dinner." She tells me.  
"Can I go out with Ezra?"  
She raises her eyebrows. "Out?"  
"We'll go to Philly... or futher." I laugh.  
She shrugs and goes back to put the toast in. "Don't get caught."  
"He's done teaching at Rosewood High in just a few days. We'll be careful."  
She pops the toast in. "That's fine. But can you go get your brother up? He has to find somewhere to be tonight, too."  
I climb up the stairs and throw a pillow at Mike, call Ezra and make plans, call and apologize to the girls again, and then shower, trying to wake up. I get out and get dressed, leaving out the tank top. I look at my stomach in the mirror. I squint my eyes to see if I'm getting any bigger. Well, of course I am. But mostly it was bloating or pigging out. For twins, I really haven't started to show. And it really worries me. Two babies growing in two seperate times..  
I hope baby Montgomery isn't squishing Baby Fitz. I know the doctors said that both the babies SHOULD be okay, but a mom's gonna worry. I slip my shirt on and pull it tight. Ah ha! Now I see it. I smile a little to myself. No matter how awful the situation, no matter how angry I am with my dad, no matter how weird it is to be pregnant with your sibling, I think I'm starting to love these little munchins.

*******

So guys, let me know if you prefer longer chapters or shorter ones. Thanks :) And please review! Thanks for reading!


	18. We aren't all right - yet

I stepped out of Ezra's car and looked around. The restaurant we were at was amazing. Finally, we got to hold hands. He laces his fingers through mine and we talk towards the resturant.  
"I've missed you lately." I tell him as he opens the door for me.  
"I've missed you SO much." He tells me, kissing my hand when we get inside.

* * *

After dinner Ezra and I walk through the garden that was outside the restaurant. It wasn't too hot, or too cold outside. My feet hadn't started aching from my shoes yet, the food was amazing and it hadn't made me sick…yet. And no one from Rosewood was here...yet.  
Could things be more perfect?  
"Do you wanna stop here for a second?" Ezra asked.  
"Sure" I answered. I sat down on the bench Ezra pointed to.  
"Feeling okay?" he asked. I nodded "  
"Yeah, I actually feel completely better from last night." I said laughing.  
He smiled, and it melted my heart. Ezra went through so much for me. What twenty four year old guy wants all this drama in his life? Most guys his age would do nothing but party. I leaned over to kiss him, and when I placed my hand on his neck I could feel his heart was beating fast. When I pulled away he gave me a nervous smile and grabbed my hand. "Hey Aria, can we talk for a second?" now I got nervous.  
"Umm…Okay?"  
"Oh, um, it's nothing bad. It's good. At least I think it's good. And you might too…well hopefully.."  
I leaned over and kissed him again to get him to stop talking. "Sorry" he laughed nervously.  
He cleared his throat. "Aria, I love you so much. And I want to go through this with you. And I know we aren't exactly all right, but I want to make it right. For you, for me and the baby. Not just our baby, but your baby, too. Both of them. Ezra stood up, only to kneel down on the floor. He pulled out of his pocket the a box small enough to fit into my palm. He opened it, showing me the only gift I could ever possibly want from him. "So, will you marry me?"


	19. Revenge

-Aria-

"Oh my gosh they are SO cute!" Spencer squealed, holding the ultrasound picture by the very tips of her fingers. "Look, baby B looks just like his daddy." Baby B, the second twin, is Ezra's, a month behind his or her brother or sister. "And baby A looks like his mommy." She smartly interjects, so the poor older sibling doesn't feel unloved.  
"Her!" Hanna corrected, grabbing the picture out of Spencer's hands. "They have to be girls so Aunty Hanna can take them shopping." Emily takes the picture from Hanna. "You may want it to be a girl, but that won't make it one" She said looking down at the picture and grinning.  
"I wasn't done with that!" Spencer took it from Emily. I laugh.  
"Relax! I Have some more!" I pull a few out of my backpack.  
It was Monday and we're all at school in the bathroom. When I had told the girls, they were more than supportive. It wasn't awkward like I thought it would be. But I did cry like a baby when I told them. It felt good, though. Like I finally was able to cry.  
The bell rang and I collect the pictures from The Fitz-Montgomery baby fan club. I didn't want anyone to know I was pregnant yet. I know I can't hide it forever but I'd like a little more peace. "So, guys." I lower my voice. There's something else."  
"Oh gosh not a third baby." Hanna jokes.  
I laugh and pull out my phone. "I'm not wearing it for obvious reasons..." I say, looking through my pictures. "But... Ezra gave me this last night." I find the picture and, with a huge smile, show them.  
"HE PROPOSED?!" Hanna said when she catches glimps of the picture of my engagment ring.  
"Yeah!" I giggle.  
"Aria...?" Spencer lifts her eye brows. "Isn't this... a bit... fast?"  
"Yeah..." I shrug. "I guess... But it's gonna happen eventually, you know?"  
"Are you sure it's what you want?" Emily asks.  
"She said yes, didn't she?" Hanna points out. "Of course it is."  
"It really is." I say. "I know it seems crazy and fast and stupid and typical but... I mean..."  
"Say no more." Spencer puts up her hands. "If you're happy, we're okay with it. Specially cause Ezra's last day was Friday."  
The girls start to walk to class. "We have Mrs. Welsh as a sub today." Hanna groans.  
I laugh. "Han, you'll live."  
"She hates me!"  
"With good reason!"  
We walk into the class room and everyone was huddling around the board. "Whoa, where's Mrs. W?" Hanna asked.  
One of our classmates, Steven, turns around from the board. "Aria! You're pregnant?"  
My entire body goes numb. "W-what?" Hanna pushes her way through the people "Move." She commands. They listen.

"Hello Rosewood day! Do me a favor, bump into Aria in the halls now while you can, because soon, you'll have to pick up the poor pregnant girls books for her. - A"

Ezra

"I'm telling you right now, I'm sleeping on the couch" I said.  
"Nope, you're not. Please don't start this argument tonight" Aria said. The two of us stood on either sides of the bed, having our nightly argument on who sleeps on the couch. Most couples would try and get the bed, but not us. I always thought that I should sleep on the couch, since Aria's pregnant. But she always argued that she should, since it's my apartment, and she felt quilty for intruding and taking my bed. We never slept in the bed together, unless we fell asleep talking.  
Aria shrugged. "Sleep on the couch, I don't care" she pulled pillows off the bed. "You'll have to sleep on the smaller one" she threw some of the pillows onto my long couch and laid down. Just as she did, her phone buzzed.  
"It's my dad!" she said, sitting straight up. Her face turns white.  
"Aria, calm down." I say.  
"I'm fine." She replies and answers the phone. "Hello?" her voice is anything but fine.  
"Aria?" I could hear a voice say through the phone.  
"Hey dad..." Aria rubbed her eyes with her hands. She goes into the bathroom to talk. I take the change to tidy up my apartment a little. Aria's been staying here the past three nights because her mom and dad are on the phone most of the time yelling at each other and Mike's been away in DC for a school trip. Aria's oganization makes me look like a slob. For the most beautiful girl in Rosewood, she didn't bring a lot. Besides her purse and backpack, she had one clothes bag, and one bag with her laptop, notebook, and favorite books. I don't think she brought any make up besides her eye liner, yet she blew me away every morning. Not only was she put together and gorgous, but she had staight A's, and I always came home to a spotless apartment... that I usually messed up within minutes. I'm gonna have to get used to married life. A shiver goes down my spine. I'm engaged. To Aria.  
I'm a dad.  
... And my apartment's a mess. I turn on my ipod, pick a playlist and turn it up. I hear shouts coming from the bathroom, and I turn the music down to listen.  
"I mean, honestly dad, ever heard of just telling the truth...? I know she filed for divorce... Oh my gosh, it's SO different! You raped me, I fell in love, it's different, okay?! Oh my gosh you're inbelievable... I don't care how sorry you are, you will NEVER get to meet this baby! And you'll be lucky to even lay eyes on me again...No, the baby has a dad and it's Ezra. You aren't the baby's dad and you aren't mine either! Yeah, well, guess what, I hate you now and I know you know I have good reason. Dad really, we ALL hate you, so you should just go..."  
I turn the music back up. Soon she comes out, cheeks flushed, eyes wet and her arms crossed.  
"Hey..." I greet her and pause the music. She ignores me, clentches her first and pounds it into the wall. It shakes the shelves and a water glass falls and shatters. "Aria..." She picks up the matching glass and chucks it against the door. "Sweetheart.." I try to calm her. She grabs her keys.  
"Um, where are you going?" I ask, blocking the door, stepping on shattered glass with my flip flops.  
"Dad's office." She grumbles.

*******

"Aria, this is a bad idea." I say for the eight time as she  
opens the door to her dads office. It's after work hours so he's at his motel.  
"Ezra," She starts, kicking off her shoes. "Don't you hate my dad too?"  
"Yeah but if we get caught -"  
"We won't." She assures me.  
"I just started working here..."  
"Then wait in the car." She shrugs. "But it's YOUR kid who's laying next to my DADS."  
I cringe. "Fine. But if we're gonna do this -" I open the mini fridge and hand her a soda. I take a beer. "We're gonna do it right."  
We smash the pictures - all of them. pour coffee on his papers, stab holes in his leather couch, stain the carpet, pull all the books off the shelves, break the liquor bottles, turn the side table over, dump out his desk drawers and then, sit in the middle of the disaster and eat the candy stash he keeps hidin here.  
"It's getting late..." She yawns. "We should head home."  
Home. She calls my apartment home.  
"Fine, but you get the bed." I stand up and help her up. She groans.  
"Fine, I give up."  
I chuckle. We leave the office and meet Spencer in the control room. She took care of the security camera. "Thanks, Spence." Aria says handing her the promised pizza coupon and the new Harry Potter movie. We walk out to our cars, the girls high heel boots and blaack skinny jeans makes me feel like we're in a movie - we just commited a crime. And I feel so good about it.


	20. Bitter tears

Aria

* * *

Ezra sat down next to me and handed me a cup of tea. "Thanks" I said plainly. He nodded and took a sip of his own. Neither of us were mad, but we just had that 'I'm in trouble' feeling. We had agreed, right now, we would talk about it. And neither of us were leaving until we had figured everything out. We were sharing a blanket and the apartment just felt plain cozy. I was nervous, but at the same time, I knew that everything was gonna be okay after this. It was silent, until Ezra spoke. "I was in target today. I went down the baby isle just to look, and started crying." he said looking out the window.  
"Scary stuff isn't it." I said fittitling with his fingers.  
"No, I was happy. The socks were so tiny. And the hats. I can't believe babies are really that small."  
"Really?" I asked him.  
"Yeah. It's like I could fit a newborns head in my palm."  
"Yeah... I know. I meant you were really happy?" I ask.  
He nodded. "I think it's our brains keep throwing us off. But our hearts can, or at least will be, ready for a baby. Well, two." he said, his eyes wide.  
"Not just babies,"  
"Our babies." he finished for me.  
"Not technically..." I sigh. "I mean.. this is so weird..." I pull my shirt up. "Look at this bump!" I point to it. "My dad's in there!"  
"um," he pulls my shirt down. "How about we just don't think about it?"  
"Are you still mad that my dad's rape baby is next to your drunk sex baby?"  
He narrows his eyes. "Well when you put it that way this pregnancy seems just dandy doesn't it."  
I can't help but burst into laughter.  
"What is so funny?" he asks, offended.  
"Ezra," I shake my head. "Do you think anyone has ever had a pregnancy THIS messed up?"  
"It's not that-" He stops and considers it. "You're so right." He laughs now too. We laugh until our sides hurt, then I turn in for the night. I settle on the bed and Ezra gets the couch. And usually my thoughts keep me up, but tonight I'm asleep in minutes. But not for long.

* * *

-Ezra-

"Ezra, Ezra wake up!" I hear Aria's voice coming from the bed, and I shoot up. "What is it?" I rub my eyes. The sun's hardly out, it's Saturday, I'm not late for work. Oh, shoot...  
She doesn't answer. "Aria what's wrong?" I go to her in my bed and she's trying to find the lamp to turn it on. I stop her and turn it on myself. "What's going on?"  
"Ezra, look..." She moves over and I see a puddle of blood in the bed.  
"Oh, um..." I take a deep breath. "It's okay, don't panic. Does anything hurt?"  
"Yeah... My stomach, like, cramps. They're really bad..."  
Oh no, oh no ohhnoohhhno oh no.  
"Alright, um..." I grab a clean pair of clothes for her and set them in the bathroom. "C'mon..." I help her out of the bed and into the bathroom to see how bad it really is. And it's bad.

* * *

"Hey, Ella?" I say into the phone once we're in the car. "We're heading over to the ER, I think something's wrong...  
"What happened?" She asks, calm.  
"She's bleeding."  
"Bleeding during pregnancy can be normal..."  
"Ella," I say, trying not to alarm Aria who's on her phone in the passenger seat, trying not to cry as she tries to wake up the girls with texts. "This isn't."

"How is she?" Ella asks me as soon as she walks in to the waiting room, followed by Mike.  
"She's okay." I say. "She's in with the nurse, she's asking a few questions and taking vitals."  
"How's the baby?"  
"We don't know..."  
"You've been here half an hour and you don't know anything?"  
"Nada." I shrug. "It's like they're acting like it's bad, but no one cares enough to check!"  
She and Mike sit next to me, and Mike curls up in a ball and kinda falls asleep for a minute. "I'm gonna get us coffee, okay?" I tell Ella. She nods absently and I go to get three cups. And when I return I meet the nurse who's talking to Ella.  
"We can go back now." Ella tells me. "Well, I'm gonna go back, would you mind waiting a few minutes?" She asks.  
"Sure..." I say. 'She is her mom after all. I'm just the fiance. She's so much more important,' I think to myself sarcastically. But I let it go and hand her the cup.  
"Give me three minutes."  
Three long minutes later, I nudge Mike, hand him his coffee, and drag him to the little room.  
"Hey," I say to Aria when I enter.  
"What's up?" She replies.  
"Oh, nothing much." I joke and sit on the edge of her bed.  
"Hey, Mike." She says to him.  
"I'm tired." He replies and flops onto the cough. Ella smacks his legs then sits on them, pulling out her phone, I assume, to yell at Byron even more.  
"Ezra, they poked a hole in me!" Aria whines and shows me her band-aid arm, and the IV in her arm.  
"Awe, my poor baby..." I take her arm and kiss it, even though I knew she was joking. "How do you feel?" I ask.  
She shrugs. "I was really nauseous and I threw up which was really embarrassing but the meds from this IV made it go away along with the cramps and even some of the anxiety." She eyes the IV bag. "I don't know what this stuff is but I wonder if they'll sell some to us."  
I laugh and kiss her forehead.  
"Ms. Montgomery?" A tech pokes her head in. "We're gonna set up the ultrasound now, okay?"  
"Alright." She answers, her face falling a little.  
As they set up, she looks to me. "Ezra?"  
"Yeah, babe?"  
"Do you think we lost them?" She asks in a delicate whisper.  
"Let's wait and see, okay?" I say, so I don't have to say 'yeah, maybe we did.' She nods.  
They do the ultrasound, and I don't watch the screen or her face, or even Aria's. I actually find it comforting to watch Mike cuddle the cheap hospital remote as he snores. They finish up the ultrasound, and she types some stuff into the computer and then she leaves to, I guess, report whatever findings she had. Aria and I try to keep our minds off the matter while playing a game of checkers on her phone, and Ella distracts herself by eating the junky 24hr cafeteria food.  
The doctor comes in after what seems like forever, and the 4am sky we woke up to turns into the sunrise.  
The doctor looks tired from the night-shift in the ER but he also looks sincere and warm. He knows what we're going through.  
"Alright," He smiles at us to reassure us. "How are you doing, mom?" He asks Aria. My entire body relaxes - mom! we still have a baby!  
"I'm okay." She answers.  
"And is this grandma?"  
"Oh, it shows doesn't it?" Ella jokes. "I thought I was too young to be a grandma."  
"You're never too young." He smiles. "And, dad?"  
"Yeah." I smile proud. 'To one of them...' I can't help but think.  
"Well, guys, I have good news, bad news and another good news."  
We wait.  
"I'm so sorry, but, there wasn't a heartbeat with one of the babies. Aria closed her eyes to keep tears from coming out of them. "Of course there wasn't."  
"Wait, which one?" I ask at the same time Ella asks "Which baby?!"  
"The older one. Baby A."  
Aria and I look at each other, then we look at Ella, to the doctor and back at each other. It's a bittersweet feeling - one of the babies is gone. But it's the one with the long, hard road ahead - the one in danger from Byron's age, the one that would grow up with grandpa as dad and mom as sissy. But this baby - completely innocent, is gone. And that hurts. I think of all the pain this baby won't have to go through, and it feels okay. Then I think of all the joy he or she will never feels, and it feels awful again. So Aria and I hold each other and cry bitter tears.

* * *

I sat on the couch, and I had just stopped crying. Was I crying about the baby we had just lost? Kinda. But not entirely. I was crying about all of this. I didn't cry in front of Aria, I mean I couldn't. I had to be strong for her. I picked my head out of my hands and looked over at Aria, who was sound asleep and almost lost it again. I couldn't help it. I covered my mouth with my hand and quietly walked into the hall. When I walk out into the hall, I was ready to sit on the floor with my back up against the wall and lose it, but who was to be standing there but my little brother. It was awkward for a second. I couldn't look him in the eye. I just looked down at the floor. "I brought her some flowers" he said trying to break the silence in a not so upsetting way but it didn't work. I looked up into his eyes and lost it. He looked a lot like me. The thing that broke me was that he reminded me of myself at age twenty. Going to school to be a teacher. Full of hopes and dreams and thinking the world was in my palm. I didn't think anything could break me. Aria and I made it past all of our relationship problems. This one never crossed our minds. My brother put the flowers he had been holding on the floor and let me collapse into his arms. This was the first time I had hugged my brother in my life. To be honest with you, I don't think I even remember his birthday or even his middle name. "It's just not fair! That bastard comes in and spins her world and then this little baby pays for it, and, our babies sibling is gone and -" I stopped knowing I wasn't making any sense and knowing that Aria might have been able to hear me. He pats my back.  
"There there, brother" he said. This had me in even more tears. When we were young, my mom was yelling at him for being mean. and so he had said "oh what am I supposed to do? Pat his back and say 'there there brother'?" and all three of us had cracked up. and since that was one of the few times we had ever talked, it was something we both remembered well. He said it I'm sure to cheer me up but all it did was make me think about Aria and I in a couple year. We would have had laughs like that with our kids, trying to get them to stop fighting. Would have.

Thanks for reading!  
Oh, and since you're so chicken and signed in as guest so I can't reply to you directly...

Whoever commented that "This is the pathetic story I've read in my life makes me laugh so pathetic that you kill yourself or get out of here because your damn story serves no stupid bitch sucks must have mental retardation fucking whore"

Cool! Thanks for the tip. The 6,270 reads on the story would disagree. I think it's cute how you can call me stupid and use no punctuation and show absolutely no sign of intelligence. I'm the one laughing now, Mr. "I'm too chicken to say who I am so I'm gonna post as anonymous." SO yeah. My story makes me happy to write and that's plenty enough for me! And you, Mister, need your mouth washed out with some soap ;)  
Love,  
the perfectly mentally healthy, and very happy, not gonna kill herself, and won't dare every get out of anywhere till I'm darn good and ready, VIRGIN! (The whore part was real cute thanks it made me laugh) 


End file.
